Portable scaffolding



June 30, 1959 PORTABLE SCAFFOLDING B. H. FRENCH le 2 l fl l m r if y I27 /23 I x w M 7 A /)l'2r 14 15 6 .25 24 26 g INVENTOR. BEVERLY H. FRENCH ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to portable seatfolding and more particularly to a scalfold assembly wherein positive means are provided for securing and supporting the platform with respect to the end supports.

Hereafter various types of scaffolding have been "confstructed which included ladder type end supports and with intermediate side rails supporting a platform therebetween, and wherein various types of interlocks were provided for anchoring the platform against displacement.

The difliculty with previous devices has been that there was normally required a securing pin or projection adapted for interlocking relation with a slotted member, but wherein it was found that over a period of time and due to wear such pins or projections break off rendering the scaffolding unsafe.

Often such projections or pins break off without warning causing an accident. Still more often contractors will use the defective scalfold merely wiring the parts together to replace a broken off locking element, thus rendering the scafiolding inherently unsafe and productive of accidents.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a perfectly safe scaffold assembly with positive securing means which eliminates the use of interlocking pins and slots or interlocking projections and slots.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide securing means in conjunction with the platform support whereby once assembled the device in itself functions to restrain the platform supports against relative inward or outward movement and at the same time against relative vertical movements with respect to the end supports, simultaneously restraining the end supports against relative outward movements.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one section of the present scaffolding.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on [line 22 of Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, but on an enlarged scale.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

The present scaffolding consists of a series of sections adapted for vertical interlocking registry in a conventional manner, one of which sections is shown in perspective in Fig. 1.

The present scaffolding comprises a pair of upright longitudinally spaced parallel end supports 11 of ladder form, each support including a pair of spaced uprights 12 including right angular inwardly directed upright flanges 13. A series of horizontal vertically spaced rungs 14 are respectively interposed between uprights 1213 and at their ends supportably secured thereto as by welding at points 15. I

Dowel pins 16 are suitably secured at 17 as by welding within the interior upper corners of each of the uprights 12-13 and project upwardly therefrom for approximately /2 of their length. Corresponding cylindrical sockets 18 are secured within the lower ends of each of the said uprights in alignment with dowel pins 16, and are adapted to cooperatively project over a similar set of upright dowel pins from a vertically adjacent scaffolding similar to that shown Fig. 1.

Parallel spaced horizontal side rails 19 extend between the respective uprights 12-13 of end supports 11 intermediate their ends as shown in Fig. 1. Each of the rails 19 includes a horizontal inwardly directed flange 20 along the lower interior thereof adapted to support the rectangular platform 21 which may be of wood or metal.

Upright outwardly opening anchor channels 22 are secured intermediate their ends to the respective opposite ends of each of the side rails 19 and are adapted to cooperatively and interlockingly engage end supports 11 upon their interiors. The construction of said anchor channels is such that upon assembly the side rails 19 are restrained by the uprights 1213 against relative outward movement to provide a positive support for platform 21. At the same time the uprights are restrained against relative outward movement longitudinally.

Platform 21 when interposed between the side rails provides the means of restraining said side rails against relative inward movement relative to each other.

Anchor channels 22 are also provided with outwardly opening notches 29 adapted to interlockingly engage portions of the ladder rungs 14 whereby said side rails and assembled platform are restrained against relative vertical movements with respect to end supports 11.

For this purpose anchor channels 22 are of the construction illustrated in Figs. 23, and including the upright plate 23 and the upright angular flange 24 which are fixedly secured intermediate their upper and lower ends to end portions of side rails 19-20 by the welds 25, thus defining an outwardly opening right angular channel.

There is also provided a second upright plate 28 spaced from plate 23 defining the outwardly opening slot 30 and including the upright right angularly related flange 26 which overlies and is fixedly secured to the adjacent flange 24 as by the Welds 27. Accordingly members 2628 provide a second right angular channel which is in effect secured intermediate its upper and lower ends to end portions of side rails 1920.

Within the respective outer plate 28 of each of anchor channels 22 there is provided a pair of transverse verticallly spaced undercut outwardly opening notches 29, as illus trated in Figs. 1 and 2, adapted to cooperatively and interlockingly receive interior portions of adjacent rungs 14.

The diagonals 31 interconnect portions of side rails 19 with lower portions of anchor channels 22 to reinforce the same in a conventional manner.

By this construction of said anchor channels it is seen that their upright outwardly opening elongated slots 30 cooperatively and interlockingly receive the inwardly directed flanges 13 respectively of the uprights 12, and accordingly said anchor channels and connected rails 19 are restrained against outward movement with respect to uprights 12-13.

With platform 21 interposed between side rails 19 and upon flanges 20, said side rails as well as the connected anchor channels 22 are positively restrained against relative inward movement towards each other, as long as platform 21 remains in position. This guarantees that the anchor channels remain in interlocking relationship with outward movement and securing said uprights against the inwardly directed flanges 13 at all times when the relative outward movement, a platform interposed bescaffolding is in use. tween said side rails supported on said flanges retainingly Of equal importance is the interlock of a positive engaging said side rails against relative inward movecharacter which is established between anchor channels ment, there being a transverse undercut notch formed in 22 and rungs 14-. Upon assembly, at the same time as said anchor channels interlockingly receiving portions of said anchor channels restrainingly engage flanges 13, said a rung retainingly engaged thereby against relative verrungs 14 are partly received within the outwardly openg tical movement. ing notches 29. With this assembly, the end supports 11 2. The scatlolding of claim 1, said side rails being may not be moved outwardly or inwardly with respect to vertically adjustable relative to a particular rung, there each other and accordingly the interlock between the being a second undercut notch formed in said anchor adjacent rung and slots 29 is positively maintained. channel for selective interlocking engagement with said Thus the anchor channels serve the additional funcrung. tion of maintaining the fixed longitudinal spacing be- 3. The scafiolding of claim 1, said notches opening tween end supports 11. Accordingly once the anchor 15 outward receiving inner portions of said rungs. channels have been assembled and mounted with respect 4, The scaffolding of claim 1, said uprights being of to flanges 13, as above described, the interlock between right angular form in cross section, including inwardly the rungs and the said notches is positive and may not directed opposed flanges, said anchor channels. each inbe accidentally disturbed. eluding a pair of parallel spaced outwardly extending 2 illustrates a Second lmdafcut notch 29 formfid flangesreceiving there-between. and cooperatively interin F 23 whereby Vertical adjustment of the anchor locked with the inwardly directed flanges of said uprights.

channels may be easily effected with respect to a particu- 5, Th affolding of claim 1, said uprights being of lar ladder Tllflgright angular form in cross section, including inwardly Having descfibecly invention, Ieffifence Should BOW directed opposed flanges, said anchor channels each inbe had to the following claims. 25 eluding a pair of parallel spaced outwardly extending 1 Claim: flanges receiving therebetween and cooperatively inter- A Scafiolding Comprismg a P of p g lflngitll' locked with the inwardly directed flanges of said uprights, (finally Spaced Parallel 611d pp of ladder form, each" a said anchor channels also including a pair of parallel enincluding a pair of spaced uprights and a series of horigaging flanges secured together, each of said engaging zontal rungs therebetween, parallel spaced horizontal side fl g respectively joined to one of said spaced flanges. rails extending between the respective uprights of said end supports intermediate their ends, a horizontal in- References Cited in the file of this patent wardly directed flange along the lower interior of each UNITED STATES PATENTS side rail, upright outwardly opening anchor channels secured intermediate their ends to the respective opposite g g g 53: ends of said side rails, retainingly engaging interior sura W faces of said uprights securing said rails against relative 2593122 Dmeger et Alla-"15 1952 

